


Caught by Cupid

by BlindCupid



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Genderswap, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Mistletoe, Severina, Sort Of, Unrequited Love, Valentines Day Fic, cupid mistletoe, fem!snape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:41:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22664911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlindCupid/pseuds/BlindCupid
Summary: Lily and Alice decide to test their charmed cupid. It works like a Christmas mistletoe with a couple alterations. 1) It only traps those who are standing near their crush. 2) The person with the crush has to be the one that gives the kiss.What happens when the go to test it?What revelations will Cupid bring?
Relationships: Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom, James Potter/Lily Evans, James Potter/Severus Snape, Remus Lupin/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Severus Snape
Comments: 12
Kudos: 349





	1. Cupid's Revelations

Lily and Alice had been working all month on this charm. The concept was inspired by the Christmas mistletoe. However, instead of holly dangling above the to-be-kissing couple, it would be a small animated cupid that struck a cute pose and made kissy faces and played romantic music on his little harp.

The fun part was that the charm tracked auras. So, it would have to be the person who fancied the other that did the kissing. If both liked each other then they both had to initiate a kiss before the cupid released them.

“Well, I think it’s just about done!” Lily exclaimed. “We just need to test it.”

“Do we have time now? When is Severina coming up to revise potions with us?” Alice asked.

“Oh, not for a few minutes yet. Just enough to get _Frank_ to assist us.” Lily winked and started to giggle at her friend’s blushing cheeks.

“Oh, but Lily… What if he doesn’t fancy me back? I think I’d be mortified.” 

“Frank definitely fancies you, that’s why the two of you will be the perfect ones to test this on. We need to make sure it only releases a couple after the person with the crush kisses the one they fancy. Come on, now!”

Lily grabbed Alice and they rushed into the common room. Fortunately, Frank was already there, revising by the fire. It worked perfectly! Oh, and they were soooo cute! 

Alice called Frank over and as soon as he was close enough, the fat little cupid appeared in all his glory, playing his harp. Alice blushed prettily and pecked Frank’s cheek. Frank’s whole face turned bright red, from his neck to the tip of his ears. Then, Alice tried to step out of the warded area but found herself stuck. Until, Frank bent down and pecked her cheek too. The cupid disappeared and the couple was free to move around again. 

“What are you two lovely ladies giggling about?”

Potter and his gang, had come down from their dorm room. James smiled his charming smile and ran a hand through his messy hair. It made all the girls swoon when he did that.

Alice made an impulsive decision to push Lily toward him. Everyone knew Jame Potter has been in love with Lily since their first year. It would be a perfect opportunity to test the cupid again. Hopefully, Lily would forgive her.

The cupid appeared above them and started playing his tune. 

James looked up, “What’s this, then?”

Lily quickly went on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Then she stepped back. James looked at her, astonished and a bit smug.

“Did you just kiss me, Evans?”

She took another step back but nothing stopped her from taking a third. Her face fell. 

“Yeah, I…” 

She tripped on the corner of the rug and a pair of strong arms caught her. She heard the music again and found herself looking up into the kind, scarred face of her fellow prefect, Remus.

“Woah… Are you okay? Almost had a nasty spill there.” Remus said, righting her on her feet. “Oh, it seems to be back.” He looked up and pointed at the cupid above them.

Lily only stared at him. 

So, Alice cut in, “Yeah, he’s sort of like a Christmas mistletoe. Lily and I charmed him.”

“Oh…” Remus blushed and scratched the back of his neck. 

“Oye mate, that’s my future wife!” James, mocked offense. Though the heat was absent and he, Sirius and Peter laughed. 

Remus smiled shyly and pecked Lily on the cheek. Lily blushed. She felt very confused. She didn’t know what to think. Alice gave her a sympathetic look.

Just then, the common room door opened and in walked Severina Snape.

“Hey now, who let the snake in?” said James. 

Severina scowled, “I was invited.”

“Severina is here to revise potions with us.” Lily answered in a timid tone that was unusual for her. 

Severina noticed and gave her friend a questioning look but her view of Lily was soon blocked by Potter’s chest. 

“Is that right?”

“Yes it is _Potter_ , not that it's any of your business.”

“Oh, I think it is my business. It’s my common room too.”

“I’m sure we’ll go to Lily's… What is that?”

Severina looked up at the fat little cupid playing his little harp. The others in the room of course having noticed the cupid appear while the two had been arguing, were all smirking. Well, except for the two gaping girls who knew that only persons with a crush could be trapped by the charmed cupid.

“It’s like a Valentines Mistletoe. You’ll have to kiss to get out, I’m afraid.” Frank Longbottom informed them trying to be helpful. 

Severina tried immediately to step away but she seemed to be stuck in one place. James tried too but to no avail. 

“Well I guess we’ll just rot here because there is no bloody way I’m kissing you!” Severina snapped.

James scoffed and crossed his arms about his chest. 

“Well it's not like I fancy the idea of kissing you either.”

His jaw tightened and he wouldn’t meet her eyes. He kept shifting from one foot to another. Severina stood tense, angrily looking towards an empty area of the room. 

“Look, I’ve got stuff to do. Just get it over with.” He bent down and presented his cheek to her. 

She huffed in defeat and quickly pecked his cheek. They both tried to move away but they were still stuck and the cupid kept playing his music. Lily gasped. Alice opened and closed her mouth a few times looking like she was doing an imitation of a goldfish. 

“Why didn’t that work?” James asked. 

He looked over at Lily and Alice.

“A kiss on the cheek worked before.” Remus added, looking to Lily who still stood beside him. 

Lily couldn’t seem to stop looking between James and Severina. 

“Severina… do you fancy James?” Lily asked.

“What? No of course not!”

Lily glared at James “The cupid will only releases a couple when the person with the crush kisses the one they fancy. Which means, that James fancies Severina.”

“No it can’t be. The thing must just be defective. Right, James?” Sirius asked.

“Yeah, James doesn’t like Snivellus…” Pettigrew scoffed

“Merlin, James… How long?” Remus asked. 

James swallowed. He couldn’t look at any of them. He felt his throat tighten. He let out a shaky breath and looked up at Severina. She stood staring at him, her mouth slightly open, her brow creased in thought, like she was trying to puzzle him out. There was that something, in her eyes, that reminded him of when he first started to fancy her. 

He looked back at his friends and at Lily, “It hasn’t been very long. I really did fancy Lily for a while there. But umm…’ 

He turned back to Severina, she had dropped her eyes to her feet. James smiled sadly.

“I’ve been told that I have a hero complex. I supposed that must be true. You were this perfect villain, you know? Smart, cunning, dark, a Slytherin and you always gave as you got.’

He saw her face scrunch up as if in pain. 

“But, at the Yule Ball, I saw you there.’ 

“You were standing alone in the corner of the room. No one seemed to notice you but I did. You must have been waiting for Lily but I don’t think she knew you were going to be there. You looked… rather pretty.’ 

He cleared his throat, ‘But that wasn’t what I… I just remember thinking you looked so… vulnerable. I don’t think I had ever seen you vulnerable before. You always seem so tough, like nothing could ever break you. But not at that moment, you looked human. Not like a snake at all. Not like a villain. I wanted to go over to you but then the girls showed up and I got distracted. 

“When I looked for you again, you left. I tried going after you but… I couldn’t find you.’

“After that, I couldn’t help but notice you. Just little things. Like how brilliant you are. You really are an incredible witch.’ 

Her eyes started to tear up.

“But it's been frustrating too, you know? We have this history you and I. I don’t know how to go back. I don’t know how to say sorry. I doubt you’d believe me if I did.’ 

“After everything we’ve done and said to each other over the years, how could I even begin to say I’m sorry?’

“I so sorry, Severina.’

“I doubt you’d ever give me a chance…’ His voice shook.

He reach a trembling hand to cup her cheek. A tear dropped down and he brushed it away with his thumb. Then, he bent his forehead down until it was resting against hers and he squeezed his eyes shut. 

“But, I want a chance...just a chance.’

They stood like that, her tears dropping onto his thumb, and down his wrist. She looked up passed his shoulder at Lily. Lily stood leaning into Lupin, holding hands. Their eyes met and Lily smiled and nodded in encouragement.

So, Severina took a deep breath and nodded. James breathed out in relief and lifted her jaw until their lips met. He kissed her so gently, so tenderly that she gasped at the emotion in it. 

Cupid’s music ceased. 

James smiled against her lips and moved his arms around her waist. He lifted her up and spun her around. She buried her face in his neck and smiled. He laughed; his joy evident. 

Even when he set her down, he kept her pulled into his chest. James looked at the faces of his friends; a smile he couldn’t contain, on his lips. Lily wrapped her arms around Remus’s waist and he rested his head on top hers. Frank had his arm around Alice as he handed her a tissue, she was smiling and crying. Peter looked uncomfortable but smiled. Sirius looked somber. 

“You could have told us, mate. Our friendship’s stronger than that. Anyway, congratulations.” He turned to leave the common room. 

James moved to cut him off, taking Severina with him by the hand. 

“Look, I know it’s a bit to get used to but, I hope that you two can be friends.” James pulled Severina up so that she and Sirius stood face to face. No one knew quite what to think when cupid appeared again. Sirius winced. Severina sucked in a breath through her teeth and squeezed James’s hand. 

Sirius looked sadly at Severina, “I do hope we can be friends. You know, James is really a good guy. Big heart. He’ll make you happy… and I’ll be there to make sure he doesn’t screw it up, yeah? Just be happy okay? No more sniveling?” He huffed a gentle laugh. Then, he brushed his lips against her temple, turned and left. 

James stared after him. His heart felt sore. He looked down at Severina and she was staring up at him. She looked lost and vulnerable. He pulled her into his embrace, rubbing comforting circles on her back, he rested his cheek on top of her head. 

“Is he going to be, okay?” Severina asked.

“I hope so.”

She nodded. 

“I lied.” She confessed. 

James pulled back to look at her.

“When Lily asked if I fancied you.”

“Yeah?” James beamed.

She held up her hand and pinched air between her fingers, “Just, miniscule.” 

“Oye, I’m more fanciable than that!”

“Prove it.”

He chuckled and cupped her cheeks in both hands, then kissed her deeply. 


	2. The Yule Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When James noticed Severina.

James rocked on the balls of his feet. He had asked Lily to be his date to the Yule ball and she agreed as long as they went in a group. Which suited him just fine. Since they had all asked Gryffindors from their year, they decided to meet up at the dance instead of the common room, which would definitely be cramped tonight. 

So there he was, standing with his friends who were talking and joking. All the while he kept his eyes glued to the door waiting for Lily to come in with her gaggle of friends. People seemed to flow in by waves, sometimes groups then, a few couples then, a group again. He was starting to wonder if the girls were going to arrive before the festivities started. 

Had he not been watching the entrance so intently, he may have missed seeing the singular girl who quietly slipped in. 

Why she had caught his a attention, he wasn’t sure exactly. She looked familiar but she’d turned her back to him nearly as soon as she entered the room. She almost disappeared into the shadows. 

The strange girl positioned herself so that she could see the entrance. She was waiting as intently as he had been a moment before. She had long black hair that fell in her face and she wore a very simple black knee-length dress. She looked dressed for a muggle funeral rather than a dance. She was out of place and he suspected that even if she had tried to blend in, she would’ve just stood out more. 

James wondered who she was waiting for- a date? a friend? She stood with her arms hugging herself, and as the minutes ticked by, her arms seemed to tighten around herself. She was so awkward, so uncomfortable in her own skin. 

James found himself growing even more intrigued. Was she always so uncomfortable with herself? Or was it the formal occasion and the fact that she was woefully underdressed? 

She shifted anxiously like she was battling with herself. James wondered if she was being stood up; if she was about to leave before the dance even started. His body felt restless, he felt like he needed to go over and talk to her. Make sure she didn’t leave. Make her smile and laugh and have the best night of her life. 

Everyone should be having fun tonight. Whoever she was, she didn’t need to stand in the shadows like that. Even if her dress was more like muggle funeral wear then a yule ball dress robes. 

James felt that she was prettier for it. Her hair looked soft and silky and her skin was like white cream. She was beautiful in a way- not in the way most girls were but in the way something pure is. Like something you’re too afraid to touch, in case you devalued it by handling it wrong. She was like that… precious. 

James felt a pang in his chest. His hand rose to press against it. As though he might physically feel this new sensation beneath his palm. All he felt was the beat of his heart.

She lifted her hand enough to brush her long, black hair from her face, quickly tucking it behind her ear. James nearly jerked back when he finally recognized her. _Severina Snape._

“James, you okay?” Remus asked. 

James snapped his eyes to his friend and seemed to come back from, whatever alternate universe he’d just slipped into. 

“Yeah, I’m good.” 

“Look, the girls are here.” Peter piped up, pointing to the door. 

Lily and her friends came through and were walking towards them. James peaked over to where Severina stood. She spotted Lily and seemed to relax and let her arms fall to her sides, revealing her slim figure for the first time. James felt a lump in his throat. Would she join Lily and the girls tonight? James briefly wondered if he might ask her to dance. Just once. 

Severina took a step towards the group of girls, stepping into the light. Jame’s breath caught. She really looked very pretty tonight. She’d never be the beauty that was Lily Evans but… 

Sirius punched him in the arm. 

“Way to go James! Lily, looks smashing doesn’t she?” 

She did. She always does. She’s naturally gorgeous with emerald green eyes, auburn locks that cascaded down her back, a smile that made you want to smile with her, and a sweet-lighthearted laugh that warmed your soul. Tonight, she was achingly beautiful in her floor-length rose-colored gown and her makeup was tastefully done to bring out her eyes and accentuate her full lips with ruby-red lipstick. James felt proud to be there with her, honored that he was the one she was walking towards. But that pang in his chest wasn’t there and her gown and makeup (which really did make her look beautiful) seemed too much. The way eating too much candy on Halloween is too much- the first bite is delicious and decadent but every bite after is a little more bland. 

“Hi.” She greeted him with a shy smile. Which he wished stirred something more that it did. He’d been flirting with her nearly since the first day they met. 

“Hi.” He smile back trying not to be too awkward and failing. 

“So, Lils where’s your Slytherin shadow tonight? Did you threaten Snivy with a bath?” Sirius asked, causing Peter and some of the girls to laugh. 

Lily wasn’t amused and glared at Padfoot but he just played at being innocent. 

“Oh, Snape is above coming to a Yule ball.” One of the girls said. Peter’s date, James thought. 

“She couldn’t afford dress robes.” Sirius’s date said in a mock whisper. 

“Hey stop it. Severina is just not into stuff like this.” Lily tried to defend her friend. 

James looked confused, over to where Severina was standing. She had her arms wrapped around herself again, even more tightly then before. Her head bowed to the floor. 'She came here for Lily,' James thought. She came to be with her friend. Why, wasn’t she coming over? She seemed to make her decision, shaking her head and heading out of the doors as the last students filtered in. 

Dumbledore's voice cut through the incoherent buzz of students conversing. 

James felt desperate, his mind and body telling him to run after her. 

“I’m going to the loo.” He announced. 

He barely heard Remus’ confused, “What?” Before he was striding out of the repurposed dining hall, hoping to catch up with Severina. 

He looked for her.

But she was gone.


	3. Love Just Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Sirius sees Severina.

The first time Sirius saw Severina Snape, she was getting her wand at Ollivanders. He didn’t think much of her, really. It was only when her wand chose her... it was her eyes he noticed. How they lit up. Being a pureblood wizard, you’re sort of used to magic. It doesn’t affect you like that. 

Yeah, he was excited to get his wand and he felt pride when his wand picked him. But, _she_ had looked like she’d just found her very purpose for existence. Not that he could’ve put it into those words at the time. He thought she had looked like she’d gotten the only presented she ever wanted for Christmas, or something. 

When he saw her again on the train to Hogwarts, he was less impressed. She confused him quite a bit. He didn’t understand why she’d have chosen to wear such ratty clothing. At eleven years-old and having been raised in a wealthy pureblood family, he didn’t understand poverty. 

Then she was sorted into Slytherin and he thought she deserved it. That’s where all the horrible people go to learn how to be horrible adults. People like his Mum. She kinda looked like his Mum. Only younger, uglier and dirtier. 

So, when he and James and the others started picking on her. He convinced himself that she deserved it. Even when they’d made her cry, he thought she deserved it. He called her Snivellus. He called her that every time he saw her, despite the fact that she never cried in front of them again. 

She was a tough witch that’s for sure, hard as nails. He sort of admired her, really. But, she was so weird. Why couldn’t she just try to fit in? He did. Everyone loved _him_. He and James and the Marauders ruled this school. But she didn’t seem to care one whit about whether or not anyone liked her. Well, except Lily and for some reason, that really pissed him off. 

So he made her life hell. Because everything about her confused him and frustrated him. She didn’t care about how she looked or if people accepted her. She kept her large-hooked nose in her studies and in her dark books. A dark witch. She was just as bad as his parents’s crowd, maybe worse. 

Then the night of the Yule ball…

James was wrong, someone else had noticed her. He had. He was just about to point her out to James when he saw James was already looking at her. Sirius was confused. Why was James looking at Snivellus like that?

She didn’t look any different than usual. Acting as awkward as ever. He saw her hug herself and tuck her hair behind her ear, and he felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. Still, he told himself, ‘she’s always been like that, so awkward, so dark, weird, ugly-pretty type. No different than usual. James will forget he even saw her once Lily shows up.’

Sirius drew James’s attention to how beautiful Lily looked. Not that Sirius cared much one way or another. He shrugged internally, she was a little ‘too nice’ for him. Like Remus’s chocolate addiction. He didn’t understand how someone could eat something so sweet all the time. Sirius preferred bitter, sour flavors himself. 

He tried to workout whether or not Lily knew Snape was there but she had no idea. He watched Severina leave. The girls were talking about her. He barely heard them. They were like birds chirping too early in the morning. Still, he complimented his date and smiled and she looked dazzled by him. 

He heard Remus’s “What?” and turned to see James leave. Sirius knew he must have gone after Severina but didn’t understand why. James was gone for sometime and Lily was starting to wonder where he’d gone. When he returned, he returned alone and looked disappointed. 

Sirius didn’t make excuses or say goodbye to anyone, he just turn and left. As soon as he was out of the dance hall, he pulled out the map. He found her in an empty classroom around the corner and down another hall. 

He heard crying as he approached. She hadn’t even bothered putting up a silencing charm. Sirius didn’t consider going in to comfort her- it conjured an image that felt too out of character for either of them.

Later, he would ask himself, ‘if James had the map tonight, would he have gone in and comforted her? Perhaps invite her back with him, to join our group? Maybe even ask her to dance? Make her smile, make sure she had a good time?’ And later he would answer himself, ‘Yes, Jame would have.’

Nevertheless, he stayed a while, just outside the door. Listening to her sobs. The sound of a merely sad girl without her only friend. A girl who just didn’t fit in. A girl who was too poor to afford proper school robes let alone dress robes. A girl whose only comfort was her books and her magic. 

Once her sobs turned to sniveling, he left her alone and returned to the dance; to friends, to the date that admired him, to the school he ruled. He didn’t think about how the sound of her sobs haunted him that night while he danced, while James forced smiles, while Remus snuck longly looks at Lily.

He went through the motions. He made jokes and laughed and smiled and danced, and everyone laughed and smiled with him. And why wouldn’t they? He was handsome, wealthy, charming, popular. Everything _she_ wasn’t.

Outwardly, Severina was his complete opposite. Internally… he wouldn’t even entertain that thought.

He always watched her. He didn’t think as to why. It was just something he’d always done. Since he’d first saw her at Ollivanders, his eyes seemed to find her whenever she was around. He never thought of it. He still doesn't, even as he watches James watch her too.

Sirius wanted to ask him about it. He wanted James to confide in him. 

What was going through his head? What difference did he see in her? She’s the same as she’s always been. 

What? Had he noticed how smart she was? How she didn’t care what other people thought of her? How powerful she was? How graceful she was with her magic, no matter what subject? Did he notice how she tucked her hair behind her ear while she brewed? How slim her fingers were? How soft her skin looked? How black her eyes? How sometimes she’d smile with the faintest uptick of the right corner of her mouth? How she chewed her lips when she was thinking? Her lips were always chapped because of it. 

‘She’s always been like that, James.’ Sirius thought, ‘Why are you only noticing now?’

They hadn’t picked on her since the Yule ball. Peter asked 'why' and James only shrugged. Remus looked curious too but didn’t voice it. Sirius didn’t think about it. 

Then came Lily and Alice’s little cupid charm. The cupid caught James and Severina under its spell and she kissed his cheek. Sirius felt sick for some reason and didn’t want to think about. It should have been over in that moment, except for the little specification Lily and Alice had added- that it had to be the one that fancied the other who gave the kiss. 

Sirius thought, James would kiss her and leave. That’s what he would have done. But of course in a very James fashion, he began spilling his heart out at her feet. Brave to offer your heart to someone, who should by all accounts, hate your guts. James had always been the bravest of them.

And yet, he was practically begging Severina Snape to forgive him and to give him a chance. 

Sirius felt like he was dying inside and he didn’t want to think about it but it was too late. It hit him all at once. Because really he didn’t have to think about it. It had been there all along. He hadn’t changed, neither had she. It wasn’t so much a grand realization but rather like being hit by a bludger; there’s this moment of clarity just before impact. Where time stills and you can see and hear more clearly but you can’t move fast enough to avoid it. 

He loved her. He’d loved her the moment her eyes lit up at the sight of her wand. He’s loved her all this time. 

So, there he stood watching Severina give James a chance at her heart. He watched as they kissed and he wanted to run, to get away as fast as he could.

Then, James, being the kind of guy he is, suggested that Sirius and Severina be friends. Everyone was a little shocked, of course, when the cupid reappeared. 

He looked up at her. 

She looked the same as always. Beautiful. Sweet. Precious. Nothing had changed. She deserved this, this happiness that James could give her. Sirius knew, what he’d always known-that _he, himself_ didn’t deserve her. 

Sirius hoped James wouldn’t try to change her too much. She was perfect just as she was. She’d always been that way.

He kissed her temple and didn’t let himself think about the warmth of her skin beneath his lips. Nor her smell- not like flowers or perfume, just her own scent- how she always smelled. 

He was able to walk away without resistance and his heart broke a little more, but he didn’t think about it.


End file.
